Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger will go head to head with Atletico Madrid for the signing of Lyon ace Yoann Gourcuff according to talkSPORT.
Wenger is keen to add more stability to his midfield with Jack Wilshere in need of rest and the likes of Abou Diaby and Mikel Arteta constantly struggling with injuries.
Gourcuff has failed to rediscover his younger form since he joined Lyon in 2010 and the French club are happy to allow the midfielder to leave on loan if the price is right.
Arsenal and Atletico would both be interested in a loan deal until the end of the season with a view to a permanent switch if he impresses.
La Liga club Atletico have already spoken with Lyon about the possibility of a loan but club agent Nikola Franco has revealed that a loan fee of in the region of £2.5million would be out of the question if a deal was to happen this month.
“Atletico are interested in Yoann Gourcuff,” he told L’Equipe.
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“But the club does not want to discuss a loan fee with Lyon. The only option proposed by Atletico is a free loan with a purchase option at the end of the season.”
According to The Sunday People, Aston Villa are interested in signing West Bromwich Albion defender Craig Dawson at the end of the season.
What’s the story?
West Brom are preparing themselves for a summer exodus with the club on the brink of being relegated from the Premier League.
The Baggies have struggled all season – collecting just 20 points from 31 matches to sit bottom of the table, and they are currently 10 points from the safety of 17th position.
According to The Sunday People, Dawson will be among those to leave the Hawthorns this summer, and Villa are very interested in completing a deal.
That said, much would depend on whether Villa can earn promotion to the Premier League.
Steve Bruce’s side are currently fourth in the Championship table after 38 matches, and need to secure a return to the top flight in order to splash the cash at the end of the season.
Would Dawson be a good signing?
The 27-year-old has been on West Brom’s books since 2010 – making more than 150 appearances for the Baggies in all competitions.
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Dawson has scored 10 times for West Brom since the start of the 2015-16 season, and there is no question that he has been one of the team’s better performers this term.
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Valued at £5.4m by transfermarkt.co.uk, the Englishman has netted twice in 25 appearances for his Premier League club this season.
There are bound to be other clubs interested in signing the versatile defender this summer, but Villa, whose supporters also want their club to sign Bristol City’s Joe Bryan, seemingly fancy their chances if they can earn promotion from the Championship.
Despite West Brom’s struggles this season, Dawson is a strong Premier League defender, and it would be a surprise if he was not playing top-flight football next term regardless of what happens to his current team in the final weeks of the 2017-18 campaign.
It has been an excellent turnaround in the space of a year for Manchester United. Under David Moyes, the Red Devils finished 7th in the Premier League, which was their worst league finish since 1990.
But, under Louis Van Gaal, it certainly looks like United have finally turned a corner and will be playing Champions League football again next season.
It has been far from plain sailing, though, with defeat to Swansea on the opening day and the 5-3 embarrassment to newly promoted Leicester among the worst moments. Who can forget the terrible 4-0 loss to MK Dons in the League Cup, although many players were rotated for that fixture. United haven’t lost since a 1-0 defeat to rivals Man City in early November and are nine Premier League matches unbeaten.
It has been suggested that Man Utd are still in with a chance of winning the league but, being 10 points behind and with leaders Chelsea playing so well, that may be a little too much to ask. But a top three finish – which they are on course for – should be more than enough to satisfy the fans for this season at least.
It was always going to take some time before United reached the heights achieved under Sir Alex’s reign, and after the mess Moyes left them in then you would have to give Van Gaal credit for turning things around so quickly.
It did take a while for the team to click but, now that they have, they are playing a hell of a lot better than last season. Obviously the money spent on new players in the summer helped – nearly £150 million was invested on the squad. Despite the millions spent, it doesn’t necessarily buy you instant title success. It was always going to take a little bit of time for players to get used to the Premier League and learn to play together. That is why a return to the Champions League would be a job well done for Van Gaal’s first season and next season will be the time to push on and start challenge again.
Despite the many injuries that United have suffered this season, the system implemented is looking strong. In recent months, Van Gaal has reverted back to a back three, with Ashley Young and Antonio Valencia as wing backs. It has allowed United to defend in numbers and look extremely dangerous going forward. Although Wayne Rooney is better suited as a centre forward, perhaps his new role dropping into midfield might just work.
It allows United to play Falcao and Robin Van Persie upfront and, even with Rooney in midfield, when United do go forward they have these three plus Spaniard Juan Mata all looking to attack. This was demonstrated against Newcastle, where Rooney still managed to get two goals from midfield. The Red Devils have looked much tighter at the back during this unbeaten run as well, and with David de Gea at his very best, the team as a whole looks at its most balanced for over 12 months.
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And with even more money rumoured to be available next summer, it won’t be long before Manchester United can think seriously about adding to their 20 league titles.
That short era in Arsene Wenger’s time which strictly followed the youth policy to combat stronger powers appears to be as good as over. The poster boy for that period just following the move into the Emirates Stadium has returned to Barcelona, Samir Nasri moved for the greener grass at Manchester City, Denilson is out, Carlos Vela too, Nicklas Bendtner, and Theo Walcott may well have been the last and final piece to leave the club this year.
Good riddance to all bar one or two? Well not really. Bendtner was always a bit of a handful but is undoubtedly far more talented and useful than many options Arsenal currently have. Carlos Vela is currently showing with Real Sociedad what he can do with a consistent run in the first-team—something he was never afforded while in north London. And then there’s Havard Nordtveit, the Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder who is excelling in the Bundesliga after never making an appearance for Arsenal in the Premier League.
Wenger has of course made a couple of bad calls during his time as manager, one being the idea to use Denilson for such a lengthy spell in the starting XI without much return, or the decision to push Emmanuel Eboue further up the field into the right-wing position. But Nordtveit’s performances in Germany should be a cause for some regret on the manager’s part.
The Norwegian was of course a part of Lucian Favre’s side who stormed up the Bundesliga table to finish in fourth, ahead of Stuttgart, Bayer Leverkusen and Hamburg, who in contrast had a terrible season. Gladbach did so playing some fantastic football on the way, too. Marco Reus was the star player in a team who were subsequently dismantled this past summer by the bigger clubs in Germany, only to be replaced by players who were unfamiliar with life in the Bundesliga.
There have been a number of bright spots this season for The Foals, most notably Marc-Andre ter Stegen. But Havard Nordtveit has also displayed the kind of maturity and stability that Arsenal have been crying out for in the middle of the park.
There’s been nothing wrong with Mikel Arteta’s performances this season for Wenger’s side, but there’s often a feeling that the team do need a genuine stay-at-home defensive midfielder.
It’s always pleasant to watch Nordtveit and the decisions he makes on the field. He knows when stay back and hold his position in the deep midfield position, playing the important role as the first line of defence and breaking up opposition attacks. But such is his understanding of the defensive midfield position that he also knows when to push forward and complement the attack.
It’s coincidental that at this time it appears Arsene Wenger is on the lookout for a player who can perform well in the defensive midfield position and centre-half. With Johan Djourou on the way out of the club and Sebastian Squillaci unwanted, the desire has been to chase a player who can fill in when two of the three prominent centre-back names are out but who can also add another body to the midfield. Nordtveit’s defensive awareness has shown him to play the centre-back position extremely well, while his size and ball-playing ability means he could have been a success if he was dropped into the Arsenal team now.
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The fee Gladbach spent on the player should be seen as nothing short of robbery from Arsenal’s perspective, as any player switching clubs for just under £1 million and going on the develop in the way he has should be seen as nothing less.
Wenger has always moved to avoid re-signing former players, and largely you can understand why. But if the club did insert a buyback clause into the sale, Nordtveit would be a fantastic addition to the current Arsenal team.
Wolverhampton Wanderers strengthened their grip on first place in the English Championship on Saturday with a convincing 3-1 home win against Burton Albion.
Cruising in the game thanks to goals from Helder Costa and Benik Afobe, Burton Albion threatened a comeback just before the break. However, Afobe’s strike early in the second half put the game beyond doubt and moved the Wanderers six points clear of Cardiff City.
Afobe’s loan signing from Bournemouth this January has proven to be an inspired bit of business, with the 25-year-old now having netted four goals in his last four matches.
Fans are loving his contribution in his second spell at the Molineux, with some believing the club should do their best to sign him on a permanent deal this summer.
Will he be the man to deliver the goals that ensure they win the Championship and secure Premier League football?
Supporters took to Twitter to share their thoughts…
Over the last few years, I think it’s safe to say that Sunderland have had the better of their Tyne-Wear clashes. Former Magpies ball-boy Adam Johnson struck a 90th minute winner on Sunday, as the Black Cats beat Newcastle United 1-0 at St James’ Park.
The Sunderland fans must be getting used to winning at Newcastle in recent times. After two consecutive 3-0 scorelines, Gus Poyet’s side travelled the short distance to St James’ Park looking for a hat-trick of back-to-back wins. They were made to wait an awful long time – the whole game in fact – as their side broke forward quickly, and a smart move was emphatically finished off by local lad Adam Johnson.
The ex-Middlesbrough and Manchester City winger, scored his third goal in three successive Sunderland wins at St James’ Park. The 27-year-old scored the second in the Black Cats’ 3-0 win in April 2013, and the second goal yet again in the repeated scoreline earlier this year.
Speaking to Sky Sports after Sunderland’s win, Johnson said: “Three years in a row – they must hate me here, but I’m delighted. Three wins here and three clean sheets, we can’t ask for much more. I was a bit disappointed as I should have scored earlier on so if I had missed that one I would have been gutted tonight. I took my time and set myself and thankfully it went in.”
Gus Poyet has instigated the last two Sunderland victories at St James’ Park , but it was Paolo Di Canio who set the trend – with the Black Cats’ 3-0 win in 2013. You have to go all the way back to October 2010 for the last time Newcastle got the better of Sunderland at home. It was a resounding scoreline too, as a Kevin Nolan hat-trick inspired Chris Hughton’s Magpies to a 5-1 win. Since then, Newcastle have only beaten their rivals once – a 1-0 win at the Stadium of Light in August 2011 – courtesy of a Ryan Taylor goal.
So what’s the secret behind Sunderland’s recent superiority in the Tyne-Wear derby? It’s hard to put your finger on it, but in the last two seasons, it could be argued that the Black Cats have wanted it more. Both 3-0 wins came at desperate times in the season for Sunderland, and they were both well earned. But as for Sunday, the commitment was there from a Newcastle perspective, they had chances of their own to win it, and on another day Alan Pardew’s side could have won 1-0, as opposed to losing 1-0.
As for Poyet’s Sunderland – who are the Premier League’s draw specialists with an unrivalled 10 draws – the last-minute winner was just what the doctor ordered. The three points lifts them up to 14th in the Premier League table, and it was their first top flight victory since a 3-1 win at Crystal Palace in early-November.
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The Sunderland fans have the bragging rights yet again over their North East neighbours – and they can bask in that glory – at least until April when the two sides next meet at the Stadium of Light. As for Pardew and the Magpies, they have to put a stop to this horrible run against their bitter rivals, if only for their fans.
With the incoming January transfer window, many a Premier League club will be looking to bolster their ranks and improve their squad before they enter into the business end of the season.
A typical problem of New Year transfers however, is that managers have to settle for what they can get as opposed to what they want, leading to clubs eventually signing well over-priced, completely useless footballers in a bid to resolve their problems, who eventually make things a lot worse.
So here are 15 Premier League footballers who other clubs should avoid at all costs in January or else fall into the trap that the month-long transfer window always presents.
Some are dangerously under-performing, many are over-priced, others are simply rubbish and a few are just far too old.
Click on Stewart Downing to check out the top 15 footballers Premier League clubs should give a wide berth to this January
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According to reports from The Daily Star, Everton are considering Diego Simeone and Luis Enrique as potential replacements for under-fire manager Sam Allardyce, but both of those are rather ambitious managerial targets for a club outside of the Champions League.
Indeed, should the Toffees decide to part with the former England boss, they may soon find themselves shortening their horizons somewhat in search for a replacement. But that’s not to say Everton can’t find an inspiring gaffer to take over at Goodison Park, and there are some very promising options within their grasp.
Former Dortmund boss Thomas Tuchel probably falls into that category, while names like Marco Silva and Sean Dyche have been discussed as potential Everton managers for some time now. Then there’s a look back into the club’s past; David Moyes enjoyed a fantastic decade on Merseyside, while Slaven Bilic knows the club from his playing days.
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So, Everton fans, which of these realistic potential replacements would you like to see take Allardyce’s place in the dugout? Let us know by voting below…
Gerard Pique has insisted that he has no interest in a January move back to Manchester United as he intends to finish his career with Barcelona.
The Red Devils have been linked with a £20m raid for their former youth star in January amid reports that he’s no longer seen as a key player at the Camp Nou.
Although he’s been a big part of Barca’s recent successes, a dip in form has seen the 27-year-old slip in and out of Luis Enrique’s XI this term.
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United and Chelsea are watching the Spaniard – who has a World Cup winner’s medal – but the commanding centre-back is adamant that he has no desire to leave his boyhood club for a return to Old Trafford:
“I was really happy and left a lot of friends [in Manchester], even if I didn’t play as much as I’d wanted, but I’ve always said I want to stay here all my career and retire at Barcelona,” he is quoted by Goal.
“At Manchester United I had Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic ahead of me, players who were never injured, never red carded … f**king hard [to dislodge] but this is the first time at Barcelona I’m not playing as much as I want to.
“A lot of people say: ‘Pique is not fit or not playing well’ but Pique is really playing well. After the World Cup I admitted I maybe hadn’t been at my level but, in pre-season, I worked really hard and I’m really happy about my performances during the season.
“At the moment I’m not thinking about leaving. I’m really happy if it’s true that United want me but I’m a Barcelona fan, I have been since I was a kid. I want to stay here.”
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Marouane Fellaini has outlined qualification for the Champions League as Everton’s main goal for the season.
The Toffees have made a fine start to the Premier League season, notching 26 points putting them fourth.
Fellaini has been key in the Merseysiders’ performances so far, weighing in with vital goals and assists.
He believes that finishing in their current position is the squad’s main aim and believes that with some hard work it could be possible:
“Everybody wants to play Champions League next season.” He told the club’s official website.
“So we work hard for this and hopefully we can finish in the top four.”
The Belgian has been used by manager David Moyes in a more attacking role this term, with positive results.
The 25-year-old was named as the player of the month for November and is happy with his current form:
“At the moment I am playing well. I am happy – but the most important things are the team and the club.
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“I try to give my maximum in every game. The manager likes it when I play in attack. I’ve been scoring the goals and I work hard on the pitch.”
Fellaini has been linked with a potential move away from Goodson Park, with Arsenal rumoured to be interested.